Glider



Oct. zo, -1931'.

H'E. KINGSITEY GLIDER `Filed May '7, 19.31

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 20, 1931. H. E. KlNGsLEY @mung med May'r, 1931 2 shetssneet 2 Patented Oct. 2()L 1931 PATENT OFFICE HENRY E. KINGSLEY, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS GLIDER Application led May 7, 1931. Serial No. 535,690.

l This invention relates to aircraft, particuwing, a cooperating, flexible wing element in hinged relation thereto and capable of havy ing relative angular motion with reference to the fixed wing structure, in order to impart downward beats on the air.` and to force rearwardly a wedge-shaped column of air on the up-stroke of the flexible wing.

plished by means of a construction such as i1- lustrated in the drawings, wherein g- Figure 1 is a plan View of aglider provided with the improved lifting and propelling means. v p Fig. 2 -is a fragmentary perspective view of part of the wing actuating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is aside v1ew of the glider. Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the win-g structure taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the flexible l propulsion wing. l

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the propulsion wing taken onthe line 6-6 so of Figo. A A

' Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the wing. The improved construction is illustrated in connection with a glider of standard construction which is shown diagrammatically 'for the' purpose of illustrating thelrelation of the improvement thereto, details of the rigging and control means o f a'glider being omitted from the drawings.- v The improvement consists ih hinging -to the 4o lower surface of the main supporting wing structure of a glider a flexible wing structure. The flexible wing structure is supported by hinged means along a transverse axis and at the forward edge vof the flexible j ea'ns` are provided for oscillating the flexible wing a few degrees upon such axis for the purpose of 'creating downward beats of the flexible wing lfor the purpose of imparting 5D lifting impulses to the craft and at the same The objects of the invention are accom' time a slight forward impulse due to the trailing end and Sides of the wing flexing upwardly on the down-stroke. Upon 4the upward return stroke, the air which has entered between the two Wing surfaces is forced rear- Wardly and to the sides, to impart a further forward impulse to the craft.

The flexible Wing is preferably made to fit a correspondingly formed recess in the under surface of the main rigid wing structure, in order that when the flexible wing is in its uppermost position, the two wings Will pre-` sent a continuous flush lower surface extendin at the same angle to a horizontal plane.

ith reference to the drawings, a glider is 65 illustratedcomprising a fuselage 1, a rigid wing 2 connectedvwith the fuselage by the frame structure 3 and braced by flying and landing wires. 'The usual stabilizer 6, elev'ator 7, and rudder 8 are shown without all of 70 the customary control means therefor, except that the rudder is shown as connected bythe cables 9 to a foot-actuated rudder bar 10 and a control stick is indicated at 11. Thecontrol n stick, in addition to being connected to the elevator 7, is likewise, as usual, connectedto y the ailerons 12 hinged to the main supporting wing 2. l.

Themain supporting wing is recessed at 13 on its under surface. Thedee'pest part of this 80 I recess is along the forward end thereof from which it tapers to thetrailing edge of theV wing. The recess also tapers to a minimum thickness toward the tips of the wings. The flexible wing 16 exactly fits recess 13 and is 85 hinged at 14, alongits forward edge, to rigid wing 2. The fore and aft length of the recess l l and the flexible wing fitting therein is greater between the'ailerons 12 than it is opposite the ailerons, as `'indicated by the broken lines 16 of Fig. 1'.

The flexibilityof the wing 16 increasesjwith its taper andi'it-is, therefore, of maximum rigidity along the forward hinged end. the

trailing end beingof sufficient flexibility` to 4`v5 assume the. formfillu'strated in Figure 4 on the down-stroke of the wing. Thus the resilient reaction of the air.which'gis struck by j the win g on the downward stroke', is in an upward and forwardl direction. When in its wing includes the bell crank levers which are secured to a transverse shaft 16 mounted in bearings 17, supported by tie rods 18 attached to the frame structure.

The horizontal arms 19 of these bell crank levers are connected by links 20 to brackets 21 secured to the flexible wing. The depend^ ing arms 22 of the bell cranks are'pivotally connected to reciprocating pitmans or links 20 23. -These may be operated by motor, not

shown, or by means of the manually operated levers 24 pivotally supported on fixed brackets 25 and being provided with handles 26/at their inner ends, and pivotal connections 27 25 with links 23 at the outer ends.

The. flexiblel wing is normally retained within themecess. 1 3 by air pressure when in flight or by the action of springs 28 coiled around shaft 16 and bearing upon the bell 30 cranks 15.

In the operation of ythe construction illustrated, `the craft may be launched andsailed as is customary with gliders'and soaring machines and without` the. use of the improved flexible wing structure, the flexible wing structure being operated when propulsion and lifting impulses are necessary to prlong the Hight or to aid in clearing obstructions.

and caused to beat against the air below the main rigid wing on the down-stroke, it iiexes upwardly,`as illustrated by Figure 4.. and on 4the up-stroke fiexes downwardly, as illustrated by Figure 7. As this wing tapers from its more rigid, hinged front end rearwardly and also from the center sidewise to the tips of the wing, the flexing takes place mainly at the rear end of ,the wing and somewhat at the sides, as illustrated by Figure 6.

In my pendingapplication for patent, S/erial No. 416,528, filed December 26, 1929, Airy planes', there-is disclosed ail auxiliary wing structure mounted within a recess on the lower surface of the main supporting wing, but in that case, the auxiliary wing' is rigid and is used for different purposes than the exible structure associated with the rigid ce wing as herein claimed. v

It is old in the art to mount beneath th main wing structure, and in a recess therein.,

ailerons for balancing purposes but such devices, so far as lmown tome, are employed for maintaining lateral balance and are not Themechanism for oscillating'the exible When the flexible wing is rapidly operated i.

flexible in the manner necessary for attaining the purposes of the present invention.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention'has been herein shown and described, itwill be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims:

I claim.: i I

1. An air craft comprisingV a rigid wing structure provided with a recess on its-lower surface, a flexible wing structure fitting said recess and\hinged to the rigid vwing along its forward edge, and means for oscillating said iexible wing out of and into said recess. l

2. An air craft comprising a rigid wing structure, a iexible wing construction hinged to the under side of the rigid wing on a transverse axis along the forward edge of said flexible wing, said exible wing tapering in thickness from its forward hinged edge to-v ward the trailing edge and toward the sides of the wing, and means for oscillating said flexible wing away from and toward the rigid wmg.

Signed at Chicago in 'the county of Cook and State of' Illinois this 5th day of May HENRY E. KINGSLEY. 

